研究称吸烟可能降低男性精子质量

 Everyone knows that a woman who smokes and plans to become pregnant should stop smoking. A new study suggests that the future father should quit, too.

人人都知道，吸烟的女性如果计划怀孕，就应该戒烟。一项新研究表明，计划要孩子的男性也应该戒烟。

Brazilian researchers analyzed¹ the sperm² of 20 smokers³ and 20 nonsmokers and found that the smokers’ sperm was damaged in ways that could reduce the chance of fertilization and might also lead to health problems in the baby.

巴西的一些研究人员分析了20位吸烟者和20位不吸烟者的精子，发现吸烟者的精子受到了损伤，而这可能降低卵子成功受精的几率，还可能为婴儿带来健康问题。

研究称吸烟可能降低男性精子质量

The DNA⁴ in smokers’ sperm was fragmented, probably because of oxidative stress from the cadmium and nicotine⁵ in cigarette smoke. Sperm DNA fragmentation has been shown in other studies to be associated with an increased risk of genetic⁶ problems in the offspring as well as with an increased risk of childhood cancer. Mitochondria, the energy centers of cells, were also less active in the sperm of smokers.

吸烟者精子中的DNA出现了断裂，究其原因或许是香烟烟雾中的镉和尼古丁诱导了氧化应激。其他一些研究显示，精子DNA断裂会增加后代遗传病的发病率，以及在儿童时期患上癌症的风险。吸烟者精子中的线粒体活性也较低。线粒体是细胞的能量中心。

The study, in BJU International, also found that smokers had a larger percentage of nonintact acrosomes, the part of the head of the sperm that releases enzymes⁷ that allow the sperm to penetrate⁸ the ovum’s shell. And the researchers discovered alterations⁹ in the proteins in smokers’ seminal¹⁰ plasma¹¹ that might impair¹² fertilization.

这份发表在《英国国际泌尿学期刊》(BJU international)上的研究报告还显示，吸烟者精子顶体——位于精子头部，会释放让精子穿透卵子外壳的酶——的完整率也更低一些。此外，研究人员发现，吸烟者精浆中的蛋白质出现了可能会影响受精的变化。

“All these effects were found in smokers,” said the senior author, Ricardo Pimenta Bertolla of the S?o Paulo Federal University. The message, he said, is straightforward¹³: Smoking alters a man’s capacity to produce sperm that can successfully fertilize¹⁴ an egg.

“我们在吸烟者身上发现了所有这些后果，” 研究报告的资深作者、圣保罗联邦大学(S?o Paulo Federal University)的里卡多·皮门塔·贝尔托拉(Ricardo Pimenta Bertolla) 表示。他说，很明显：吸烟会损害男性排出那些能让卵子成功受精的精子的能力。

1 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

3 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

4 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

5 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

6 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

7 enzymes   

n. 酶，酵素

参考例句：

• It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
• Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。

8 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

9 alterations   

n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变

参考例句：

• Any alterations should be written in neatly to the left side. 改动部分应书写清晰，插在正文的左侧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code. 基因突变是指DNA 密码的改变。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 seminal   

adj.影响深远的；种子的

参考例句：

• The reforms have been a seminal event in the history of the NHS.这些改革已成为英国国民保健制度史上影响深远的一件大事。
• The emperor's importance as a seminal figure of history won't be diminished.做为一个开创性历史人物的重要性是不会减弱的。

11 plasma   

n.血浆，细胞质，乳清

参考例句：

• Keep some blood plasma back for the serious cases.留一些血浆给重病号。
• The plasma is the liquid portion of blood that is free of cells .血浆是血液的液体部分，不包含各种细胞。

12 impair   

v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少

参考例句：

• Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
• It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。

13 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

14 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。